November 27, 2024: Solid waste director briefs RSWA directors on challenges facing the industry such as decreasing landfill capacity
Plus: The Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce mourns the passing of former CEO and President Tim Hulbert
T’is the day before Thanksgiving and I don’t have it in me at this time to compose an epic poem describing the many threads happening across the country as many people plan for big family gatherings or social events. What I do have time for is the creation of another new installment of Charlottesville Community Engagement, a newsletter that serves as the vehicle for the conveyance of information. I’m Sean Tubbs, and I’m up to November 27, 2024.
In today’s installment:
The Charlottesville Chamber of Commerce is mourning the loss of former president and CEO Tim Hulbert
A Louisa County farm is among the recipients of funding from the Virginia Land Conservation Fund for a conservation easement
A new Tesla showroom planned for Stonefield gets a zoning clearance approval and other pending and approved applications
The head of the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority briefs his Board of Directors on pending challenges such as a declining capacity for Virginia landfills and increasing amounts of municipal waste
First shout-out: Plant Virginia Natives
We are now closer to winter than the beginning of fall and still bracing for the first real plunge into temperatures below freezing. But the world keeps turning and spring isn’t too far ahead of us. It’s time to think ahead to next spring and what I need to do to get my yard ready to plant something new.
One resource that may help me develop a landscape more suitable to this area is Plant Virginia Natives! Plant Virginia Natives is part of a partnership with ten regional campaigns for ten different ecosystems across Virginia, from the Northern Piedmont to the Eastern Shore. Take a look at the full map below for the campaign for native species where you are in the Commonwealth. For the Charlottesville area, download a free copy of the handbook: Piedmont Native Plants: A Guide for Landscapes and Gardens.
Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce marks the passing of a long-time leader
Timothy Hulbert took the job as president and CEO of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce in March 2001 and moved down from a similar position near Troy, New York.
“As CEO of the Chamber of Commerce during my early years as a member and Director, Tim's leadership reflected a deep commitment to our city's growth and prosperity,” said Sasha Tripp, the current chair of the Chamber’s Board of directors, in an announcement of Hulbert’s death on November 24.
Hulbert would spend nearly seventeen years in the position before stepping down in early 2018.
“He was an indisputable advocate for our businesses, and his legacy will continue to influence our region for generations to come,” Tripp said.
One of his influences was determined advocacy to keep the Rivanna Station military base in Albemarle County. Several years after his departure, Albemarle Supervisors agreed to buy 462 acres around the base to prevent it from being encroached on and to build a new intelligence and security campus.
The current chief operating officer of the Chamber worked with Hulbert for 12 years, half of them as a volunteer.
“He was a mentor who significantly contributed to my professional development, preparing me to be an effective leader and advocate in chamber world,” said Andrea Copeland.
The announcement notes several initiatives that came about during his tenure. For instance, Hulbert was an advocate for moving forward with the long-stalled Meadowcreek Parkway which opened in the early 2010’s as the John Warner Parkway. He also helped create the nonprofit Free Enterprise Forum and served as one of the founding board members of the advocacy group.
Hulbert was 72. His obituary can be seen here.
Drewary Brown Bridge signs to be relocated
Yesterday I reported that city crews had installed signs to commemorate the Drewary Brown Memorial Bridge. As I drove past, I noticed that one of them was placed in the middle of the sidewalk making it more difficult to get around in a wheelchair or with luggage.
I immediately asked the city’s communications director if these were compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act. This morning Afton Schneider said the signs will be relocated and this afternoon she said they had been removed.
Louisa farm is among several Virginia properties that win land conservation grants
Governor Glenn Youngkin has announced over $14.4 million in grants from the Virginia Land Conservation fund including money to place one property in Louisa County under a conservation easement.
“Supporting Virginians so they can continue to work their farmlands and forests helps our key agriculture and forestry sectors continue to thrive,” Youngkin said in an information release issued this morning.
A $389,700 award in Louisa County goes to Panamint Farm near Mineral and will place 533 acres of active farmland and forests under an easement. Conservation easements are an agreement that land not be developed in perpetuity depending on the terms of the document.
Panamint Farm also received $110,300 in the last grant cycle.
Elsewhere in the Fifth Congressional District, the Monacan Indian Nation will receive $285,367 for the purchase of 100.4 acres on Bear Mountain.
“Adjacent to the Monacan Museum and Culture Center, this property contains an Outstanding Forest Conservation Value hardwood forest,” reads a description in the release.
The Virginia Outdoors Foundation will receive $480,715 to purchase a conservation easement on 353.56 acres at Jatt Farm.
In Orange County, the American Battlefield Trust will receive $162,406 for a conservation easement on 36.17 acres in the Wilderness Battlefield.
“The project will protect the viewshed of the adjacent Wilderness Battlefield, part of the Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania National Battlefield Park,” reads the release.
This easement will be held by the Virginia Board of Historic Resources.
Visit Governor Youngkin’s website for the full list of awards.
Zoning clearance report: Tesla showroom moving forward at Stonefield
On Tuesday, staff with Albemarle County’s Community Development Department approved a zoning clearance for a Tesla showroom in a section of the Shops at Stonefield.
“To open a commercial or industrial business in Albemarle County, you need a Zoning Clearance (CLE), no matter what size or form your business takes,” reads a section of Albemarle’s website.
Earlier this year, Supervisors approved a special use permit allowing outdoor sales and display in Stonefield. That cleared the way for a place the electric vehicles can be sold. The zoning clearance is another step in moving the project closer to opening for business.
Here’s a look at several zoning clearance applications. This is not an exhaustive list and I have omitted various permits for temporary events like Christmas Tree sales and very small medical offices.
A Barboursville resident seeks to open up Lee’s Barbershop in Twenty-Ninth Place. The application was submitted on October 29, 2024 and has so far not been approved. (CLE202400140)
An entity based in Tennessee seeks to open a medical infusion center called Paragon Healthcare in the Forest Lakes Shopping Center. The application was submitted on November 4, 2024 and has so far not been approved. (CLE202400141)
The November 26, 2024 newsletter reported that Albemarle will set up a health care clinic for county employees as one way of bringing down the overall costs. An application for Care ATC at 1895 Seminole Trail was made on November 5, 2024. This zoning clearance was approved but no date is given. (CLE202400142)
There is a second medical care facility for county employees opening at 630 Peter Jefferson Parkway. This application was filed on November 6 and approved on November 25.
A new Domino’s Pizza franchise has applied for a zoning clearance in the Rivanna Ridge Shopping Center at the space formerly occupied by another pizza place listed in the October 30, 2024 application as DIY Pie. That business had a grand opening in the late winter of 2023. This has not yet been approved. (CLE202400143)
Albemarle has approved a zoning clearance for a company called The Ascendancy Group to take over a site in the North Fork Discovery Park formerly occupied by Siemens. The application was made on October 31, 2024. The company is described as a “service-disabled veteran owned small business who provides training and logistics support. The approval by staff came on November 20. (CLE202400144)
A company called Addiction Allies has filed a zoning clearance to expand its offices in the business complex in the 600 block of Berkmar Circle. The application is dated October 28, 2024 and has not yet been approved. (CLE202400145 and CLE202400146)
The Rock Revolution Climbing Gym has filed for a zoning clearance to open at a building formerly used by the Hospice of the Piedmont at 2200 Old Ivy Road. This application is dated November 5, 2024 and has not yet been approved. (CLE202400147)
Crozet Park seeks a zoning clearance to hold the Crozet Winter Brews Festival on December 7 from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. The event raises fun for the entity that runs the park. This application is dated November 6, 2024 and has not been approved. (CLE202400149)
Albemarle has approved a zoning clearance for a new four-story storage facility to be built on Fifth Street Extended behind the recently built commercial strip mall where there is a Starbucks franchise and a Christian’s Pizza. The application was made on November 14 and approved by the county six days later. (CLE202400155)
A store called Bluebird and Company is seeking a zoning clearance to operate at 5792 Three Notched Road. They are a fusion of two shops that have come together. When I visited their website, I learned about the Crozet Holiday Markets Crawl that’s happening on December 7. (CLE202400160)
Sponsored message: Buy Local
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RSWA director briefs officials on challenges facing solid waste
A crucial question for the ongoing sustainment of a civilization is what do with all of the waste generated by the people and businesses within.
Both Albemarle and Charlottesville are members of the Rivanna Solid Waste Authority, an entity created in 1990 to help plan for the pending closure of the Ivy Landfill. The RSWA now operates the recently renamed Ivy Solid Waste and Recyling Center at 4576 Dick Woods Road.
Charlottesville currently contracts with GFL Environmental to haul solid waste to a transfer facility and to provide curbside recycling. Participation is not mandatory and city residents are allowed to instead to hire a private company to haul their trash. Albemarle residents must hire a private contractor or take waste to the solid waste center or to the southern convenience center.
Some of that waste is transferred to the Ivy facility. In total, the RSWA received 240.17 tons of material at Ivy in September and that figure dropped to 213.51 tons in October. Overall, the trend is toward more solid waste going through the processing facility. Another increasing trend is the number of people who participate in a program to drop off electronic waste for free.
“It's growing,” said Bill Mawyer, executive director of the RSWA. “And it looks like we've grown about 33 percent from Albemarle county residents in the last three years. About a 43 percent increase in city customers have used that program.”
With that as background, Mawyer gave the RSWA Board a presentation on future challenges facing the solid waste industry. One thing he has to be concerned with is the growth in capacity in a community where at least one entity plans continued growth.
“We're blessed that we have the University of Virginia here that provides a stable economic foundation for the community continuing to grow,” Mawyer said. “They're adding about 200,000 square feet of infrastructure of buildings every year.”
Mawyer also keeps an eye on population projections from the Weldon Cooper Center at UVA that show Albemarle growing to around 155,000 people. He added that number could be higher as sea level rises pushes people to attractive areas.
That will mean new buildings and construction is a major source of waste, possibly as much as 20 percent of the waste stream according to data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
The Virginia Department of Environmental Quality keeps track of capacity for the 49 landfills in Virginia that accept municipal solid waste. A report from 2023 indicates is enough room left for 236.1 million metric tons. That’s the equivalent of 20.1 years left at current rates.
“All the refuse that we transfer from Ivy goes to a private landfill in Henrico County,” Mawyer said. “And what we understand is that has a remaining life of 17 years.”
Mawyer said said solid waste authorities and municipalities are concerned about what to do with refuse as landfills close. He said it is difficult to permit new facilities in the face of public opposition and tough regulators. One to watch is the Greene Ridge Landfill proposed in Cumberland County that has received at least a partial approval. (visit the DEQ site)
There’s also the possibility landfills fill up more quickly as more electronic waste is generated.
“Electronic waste has almost doubled in the last 14 years,” Mawyer said. “And that waste can be a hazardous product. It depends on what of elements are in the particular waste of laptops, cell phones, computers.”
The less landfill space available, the more costly tipping fees will be.
Compounding the issue is that China stopped taking waste products from foreign countries in 2018. Their decision has created a need to reduce materials that don’t really get recycled in significant numbers. Mawyer said some companies are seeking to implement the use of more robotics to sort through waste to improve rates of what gets reused.
Another challenge is material that leaches out of unlined landfill cells as rainwater passes through the land. At Ivy, the leachate is channeled into a pond and pumped out into a truck for disposal. The RSWA is monitoring for PFAS and other “forever chemicals” as well as other pollutants.
The future may involve additional methods of disposing of refuse. One could be increased incineration, but this adds more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Composting is another option as are bioreactor landfills.
Mawyer said there is the chance there will be deregulation will occur in a new Trump administration that has pledged to slash federal rules.
“Whether the regulations are going to continue to become more stringent or there's going to be a relaxing, there is it going to be a reality check that we've got to put this stuff somewhere every day, where are we going to put it?” Mawyer said. “And if the regulators say, wait, there's no landfills, we've really got to think hard to be creative on what we're going to do with the products.”
Before Mawyer’s presentation, former Albemarle Supervisor Liz Palmer had taken the opportunity at the public comment period at the November 19, 2024 meeting to ask the city to work with Albemarle on joint planning for solid waste disposal.
“There are plans for significant redevelopment, which means lots of demolition debris and then there's special collections, curbside bulk pickup, composting, et cetera,” Palmer said. “I'm here today to ask this board to consider the formation of a new group with joint city county participation under the leadership of RSWA for strategic planning for the next 10 years.”
Charlottesville recently issued a request for proposals for a firm to study its current solid waste system in advance of the FY26 budget cycle. Bids were due on October 15 and so far no notices have been given.
Reading material:
New national intelligence institute opening at UVa, Jason Armesto, Charlottesville Daily Progress (paywall), November 25, 2024
‘The $42B question’: What’s next for federal broadband funding?, Chris Teale, Route 50, November 26, 2024
Louisa Town Manager resigns, Mitchell Sasser, Central Virginian (via CBS19 news), November 25, 2024
Let’s wind down #770
Four more stories. I won’t be putting out a newsletter tomorrow but I am hoping to get out either a podcast or the October property transactions for Charlottesville. Over the past four and a half years, I’ve prioritized work over everything else, but I do hope to go to a small gathering in the afternoon and I hope to bring two sides.
In the past six weeks, I’ve been cooking more meals and have pledged to not eat pre-packaged foods I can make in the microwave. The primary reason is the health benefits, but making sure I’m cooking great meals restores some balance to my life.
And I have to put in a plug for the print version of the Charlottesville Daily Progress which has a lot of great recipes to clip. I’m thinking bacon mashed potatoes and stuffing cooked in my Instant Pot. If I opt to stay by myself, maybe I’ll make a roast?
Each of us goes through a different life and I assure you that I’m pleased as punch to have built up the engine that allows these newsletters to come up regularly. Now the question is how to build capacity to write stories I feel are very important to understand the many challenges we face as a civilization.
I will say I’m grateful for all of those who have contributed with a paid subscription. Many will be thankful I won’t lay it on thick today.
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